Altai Kazakh Eagle Festival

Eagle Hunters Gather

On September 14 and 15, 2019, eagle hunters and their trained golden eagles will gather
for the Altai Kazakh Eagle Festival near the remote town of Altantsogts in the heart of Mongolia's Altai Mountains. There, they will celebrate eagle hunting, an ancient Kazakh falconry tradition.

In 2019, at the invitation of the eagle hunters, Blue Silk Travel will sponsor the eagle festival for the 2nd year. We are honored to support this important cultural event.

Classic Trips

Custom Travel

The Golden Eagle

The eagle festival celebrates nomads' relationship with golden eagles, a human-animal partnership made famous world-wide by teenager Aisholpan and the photographs of Asher Svidensky. At the eagle festival, visitors have the opportunity to share in this bond with the eagles.

Kazakh Culture

In addition to eagle hunting, the eagle festival celebrates many aspects of Kazakh culture: food, clothing, embroidery and music, that continue to thrive in Mongolia's remote Altai Mountains.

The Tournament

At the festival, hunters bring their golden eagles to the top of a rocky outcropping, and then call them from hundreds of feet away. The eagle festival judges assign scores based on the speed and accuracy of each eagle.

Kokpar

The eagle festival also features a variety of other competitions, including kokpar a sort of tug-of-war between men on horseback using a headless goat carcass.